Acts 2

1When the day of Pentecost came around, all of them were together in the same place.

2All at once there came from heaven a noise like a strong wind rushing along, and it filled the entire house where they were seated.

3There appeared to them tongues like fire, parting and settling on each one of them.

4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Spirit gave them words to utter.

5Jews were living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

6At this sound the crowd assembled, and they were confused, since each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7Astonished and marveling, they said, “Look, all these who are speaking are Galileans, are they not?

8So how do we each hear them in our own language, the language of our birth?

9Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; people who live in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya around Cyrene; Romans staying here as visitors, Jews as well as converts;

11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking of God’s great deeds in our own languages!”

12Everyone was astounded and at a loss, and they kept asking one another, “What is this supposed to mean?”

13Others, though, sneered and said, “They are filled up on sweet wine.”

14Then Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this, and pay attention to what I say.

15You suppose these people are drunk, but they are not, for it is just the third hour of the day.

16Rather, this is what was said through the prophet Joel:

17‘In the last days it will be, God says, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

18Even on my male servants and my female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

19And I will show wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.

20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22Men of Israel, hear what I say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man whom God publicly endorsed to you through powerful deeds, wonders, and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.

23He was given over by God’s fixed purpose and foreknowledge, and you used lawless men to nail him to a cross and kill him.

24But God raised him up and set him free from the agony of death, since there was no way he could be held fast by it.

25For David says about him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

26Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body also will live in hope,

27because you will not abandon my soul to Hades or let your Holy One see decay.

28You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

29Brothers, I can speak freely to you about the patriarch David: he died and was buried, and his tomb remains among us to this very day.

30Since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn him an oath to put one of his own offspring on his throne,

31he looked ahead and spoke of the Messiah’s resurrection, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his body see decay.

32It is this Jesus whom God raised up, and all of us are witnesses to that.

33So now that he has been lifted up to God’s right hand and has received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

34For it was not David who went up into the heavens; he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand

35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

36Therefore the whole house of Israel should know beyond doubt that God has made him both Lord and Messiah—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37Hearing this, they were pierced to the heart, and they asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”

38Peter replied to them, “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39For the promise belongs to you and to your children, and to all who are far away—as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

40He gave solemn testimony with many more words and kept appealing to them, “Be saved from this twisted generation!”

41Those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day some three thousand people were added.

42They continued faithfully in the apostles’ teaching and in the fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers.

43Everyone was struck with awe, and many wonders and signs kept happening through the apostles.

44All the believers stayed together, and they held everything in common.

45They would sell their land and belongings and divide the money among everyone, according to what each person needed.

46Day after day they continued faithfully in the temple with one mind, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared their meals with joy and simplicity of heart,

47praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And every day the Lord kept adding to the group those who were being saved.